RUGBY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 2 June 1927, Page 6

RUGBY

THE TARANAKI TEAM.

NORTH v. SOUTH MATCH.

PROSPECTS FOR TO-MORROW

On Thursday last team® drawn from the senior club® in the northern and southern divisions met at Stratford in what was looked upon as a trial for the .selection of a representative team to meet Wanganui. This opening annual fixture, is, as usual, set down for decision to-morrow (June 3), at Wanganui.

Owing to injuries sustained after selection of the two -teams, inability to obtain leave from camp duties, and other unforeseen circumstances, several members of the South team were absent, with the result that not only were player® included who were not at first .selected, but some who filled very important positions, an the field were unused to them and proved quite unreliable. Two notable instances in this connection were the placing of C. Paterson and W. Eliason at lull-back in the first and second spells respectively. The veriest tyro is well aware that the last line, of defence in Rugby should, be occupied by the most reliable back in. the team, and it is hardly to. be wondered at that two. wing three-quarters in turn failed to hold the vigorous! northerners in check. Had Stan. Lay filled -the position his sure tackling and hefty kicking would very likely have kept 1 down the score. Nothing, however, could have averted the defeat of South qn the day. The North team (yellow) had the advantage of weight and pace, forward and the ability to. more often secure possession in the scrums, thus commanding the ball in either solid or loose play, or letting at out to the backs in accordance with desire or opportunity. In fact, the Yellow bustlers were so superior that they . practically dominated the game. This being so, their hacks, who were also, collectively, and in most cases individually, a much better team, were given eveiy opportunity to teat the evident weak defence of the Blacks. That 30 points (6 - tries, 3 conversions, and 2 penalty goals) to. 8 (2 tries and one .conversion) were recorded is sufficient testimony to tliej fact that one side was very much superior to the other. Honour® were equally divided in the North team, three tries each -being registered by hacks and forwards. The result of the trial ..game was so easy of accomplishment .and the weakness of the losers so pronounced, that it would be superfluous and invidious to single out for .special mention the play of any, beyond perhaps that of Bourlce and Hoihaia (backs) and Wills (forward) in the South team. . Taranaki’ § ireco-rd in inter-provincial fixtures last season was really good, and giave rise to the hope that the representatives. of the province will before long reassume the proud position held ‘by their predecessors among the leaders of New Zealand Rugby. Last Thursday’® match furnished proof that the quality of our Rugby has not deteriorated, A large percentage of the players engaged gained representative hotioux-s in 1926, and with the added advantage q! youth and another year .s experience, should certainly give a good account of themselves to-morrow. The sole selector of Taranaki teams (Mr W. A. Guy) has for the first match held to his last season’s policy in selecting youthful and comparatively youthful players who, an the ordinary course of events should retain their representative status for some .seasons to come, continuing in the meantime to impart to. .stilj.‘“younger player® the lessons they have learned in la hard school. Mr. Guy’s idea is a very good one iand t-he hard and fast adoption of the principle will doubtless, ensure a continuous reserve o.f young, vigorous and educated players from which to fill constantly recurring gaps on the representative ranks of the province. Elvery member of the selected team found a place'.in last season’s representatives and all are sufficiently known to football enthusiasts to 1 dispense with the necessity of dilating upon their capabilities. o‘f tlie reserve lor\vmrclis it may be mentioned that O’Keefe (Stratford), in (addition to filling the lock position very well indeed, is for a big heavy man fairly fast, and just as likely to place a try to -the credit of his side as are his clubmates —Kivell and Walter. C. Wills (Patea) is a wise choice las emergency forward. He is heavy, fast and tackles well. He played three-quarter for a few seasons and can in consequence, handle like a back. The emergency backs, Dirim&s (Tukapa) and Julian (Star) fit into Mr. Guy’s .scheme admirably. Both are extremely youthful, but each plays hit respective game —three-quarter and half much better and with more confidence than do many district senioi players in. the same positions. The team is a strong combination, backed up by reliable reserves, .and will take a. lot of beating. Being the first inter-provincial match of the season, there is of course no indication of the relative strength of Wanganui, but (on paper) the foregoing remark will bear repetition—the Yellow and Blacks will take a lot of heating. PAEWAI AT AUCKLAND. (by telegraph-press association.) AUCKLAND, June .1, The All Black footballer L. Paewai attended a meeting of the Auckland Rugby Union to-niglit and applied for permission to play for the Grafton Club. It was decided that as Paewai had fidfilled all the requirements of the rules his request should he granted. TEAMS FOR SATURDAY. Kaponga. Seniors. —Paterson, Eliason, Pase-oe, Mercer, Bradford, Murphy, Hammersley (2), Espin (2), Poole, Free, Martin, Thoinnine, Guy. Juniors. —Tuck, Eliason, Walsh, Snell. Long, Eddy, Noonan, Pascoe, Hodge, Thoumine, Silson, Murphy, West, Sniidt, Bennie, Alvis. Bus leaves at 2 o’clock. Fourths.—Hislop, Walker, Paterson, Murphy (2), Dawson, Williams, •Street (2), Huekstep, Gargan, Ryhold, Belli. Scott, Gardner. Thomas. Bus leaves P.O. at noon sharp. Pate a. Juniors. —Zimmerman, Fraser, Better, Moore, Cousins, W. Willis, Huston, Adams, Martin, Wills, Bradnioro. Lyndon, Bartlett, Corbett, Boyle, White, Thorburn, .Ilamblyn. Third's.—Ward, Huston, Jackson, Quayle, Corbett, Christiansen, Burrell, Callendar (2), Shirtcliflc, Hunt (2), Tong, Watt, Wilkinson, Willis. Olcaiawa. Seniors.—Cameron, J. Purvis, C. Paterson, I. Crawford, Lynskey, E. Griffin, M. Clarke, R: Guy, Birchall, Tippett, Ike, Clarke, McCallum, Parslow, Stoddart; emergency, O. McDon-

aid. Team to be at Kaponga ground at 2.30 sharp. Juniors. —Dodd, Blair (2), Soothill, Preston, Tippett (2), Bailey, Tito, Jerry, Awafiou, Clarke, West, King, Groenougli. Thirds. —Ngaia, Hooper, Blair, Johnstone, James. Walker (2), Woller, Allen. Eynon, Sharpe, Greenough, Tui, Crann,' Morehu. Team to be on ground at 1 o’clock sharp. Hawera. Seniors. —Tula, Robson, Hammond, Shore, Buxton, Cameron, Barron, Greig, Mills, li-enry, Murphy, Paterson, Robinson (2), Rangi Ruru. Juniors.—Busing, Jordan, Walker (2), Rumball, Cheevers, IJawson, Hulbert, An diresen, Robert's, Murphy, Twist. Gould, Rawcliffe, Phillips, Rockel. Bus leaves Post Office at 2 p.ni. Thirds. —Nolan, Foster, Wool ford, Nolan, Dymond, Wills, Maloney, Cox, Nolan. Green, Harrison, Vinton, Phillips, Harrison, Schinkel. ’Bus leaves Post Office at noon sharp.